Navy commander ‘refused to accept’ boss was not gay or in love with her

A ROYAL Navy commander harassed her boss who she insisted was in denial about her sexuality and in love with her, a court martial has heard.

Commander Sally-anne Bagnall is accused of harassing her boss, Surgeon Captain Elizabeth Crowson, by launching a relentless “romantic pursuit” despite being repeatedly rejected.

Cdr Bagnall and the married mother of three worked together at the Defence Primary Health Care HQ i n DMS Whittington, Staffs.

It was heard Cdr Bagnall, 51, “tricked” an admin worker into giving her Capt Crowson’s home address and sent her cards during the alleged harassment in the autumn of 2018.

Wing Commander Michael Saunders, prosecuting at Bulford Military Court, Wilts, said: “During conversations, Bagnall persistently said Capt Crowson was suppressing her true feelings about her and was in denial about her sexuality, despite being married.”

The prosecutor also read Cdr Bagnall’s messages to the alleged victim. One said: “Your heart is big/strong enough for two adults in this threesome, but not in the same bed.”

A third read: “Big enough heart and sex drive, I should say.”

Capt Crowson said Cdr Bagnall confronted her with annotated work emails, circling grammatical and spelling errors. Cdr Bagnall insisted Capt Crowson’s misspelling of “regional” meant “vaginal”, “get in touch” meant she apparently wanted to touch Cdr Bagnall, and “involved” was code for her wanting to be involved with her.

Capt Crowson said: “I felt scared. Anything I said could be misconstrued.”

The officer said her junior “got the wrong end of the stick”.

She said: “Conversations about my marriage would veer towards her assertion that tensions in my marriage were due to me being in internal conflict about my sexuality.

“She refused to accept my assertions that I was not gay or looking to start a romantic relationship with her.”

Barrister Dingle Clark, defending Cdr Bagnall, now of HMS Nelson in Portsmouth, Hants, and who denies harassment, asked Capt Crowson: “Do you remember being in Costa after work and saying ‘ oh gosh, two middle-aged women together, what will they think?’

“On another occasion, you looked closely at her body and breasts and said ‘come on, let’s go for it’. On another, you were charging your laptop or phone and said in a knowing way ‘ charge my battery’. There’s only one inference Cdr Bagnall drew from that, that you were keen for a romantic relationship.”

Capt Crowson said she had no recollection of any of the comments and dismissed the suggestion they were intended sexually.

The court martial continues.